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Archive for February, 2014
North Carolina: Residents Told Not to Eat Fish Near Spill Site
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 13th, 2014
New York Times: The state Department of Health and Human Services is warning people not to eat fish from near the site of last week’s huge coal ash spill on the Dan River and to avoid the river near the spill. The department said it is collecting fish downstream of the spill in Eden and will evaluate the data. The spill at a 27-acre Duke Energy coal ash pond, spewed up to 82,000 tons of coal ash mixed with 27 million gallons of contaminated water into the Dan.
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Comments Off on North Carolina: Residents Told Not to Eat Fish Near Spill SiteU.S. South, East Coast lashed again by deadly snow and ice storm
Posted by Reuters: David Beasley on February 13th, 2014
Reuters: A deadly winter storm gripped the southeastern United States on Wednesday, crippling travel, knocking out power to 363,000 homes and businesses and encasing magnolia and palmetto trees in ice.
The weather was blamed for at least 13 deaths in the region, including three who were killed when an ambulance transporting a patient skidded off an icy road in Carlsbad, Texas, the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
Winter storm warnings and advisories were in place from Arkansas east to much of...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on U.S. South, East Coast lashed again by deadly snow and ice stormDavid Cameron using flood crisis to ‘drown embarrassing news’
Posted by Guardian: Nicholas Watt on February 13th, 2014
Guardian: David Cameron was accused of using the floods to "drown embarrassing news" after the government announced it is publishing a raft of reports on Britain's relationship with the EU, one of which concludes that the single market is vital to the UK economy.
In one of the most eye-catching findings of the eight volumes, easyJet says it would not exist were it not for the EU's single market.
The low cost airline told the review: "easyJet is a product of the EU's deregulation of Europe's aviation...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on David Cameron using flood crisis to ‘drown embarrassing news’Natural Disasters Bring Risk of Fungal Infections
Posted by LiveScience: Rachael Rettner on February 12th, 2014
LiveScience: Natural disasters can create conditions that put survivors at risk for fungal infections, which are often overlooked, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters can displace harmful fungi from their natural habitat, potentially bringing them into contact with injured and vulnerable people, the report said. Individuals may inhale fungal spores, or the spores can find their way into wounds, resulting...
State Department Hiring of Oil Industry Consultant to Write Keystone XL Environmental Review
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on February 12th, 2014
EcoWatch: Today Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth submitted evidence to the State Department’s Office of the Inspector General to support the ongoing inquiry into conflicts of interest and mismanagement in the environmental review of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The groups request that the Inspector General takes steps to ensure that the tainted Final Environmental Impact Statement, released on Jan. 31, is excluded from the agency’s National Interest Determination.
“The State Department hired an...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on State Department Hiring of Oil Industry Consultant to Write Keystone XL Environmental ReviewUnited Kingdom: Environment Agency staff not sent to flooded area after ‘abuse’ from residents
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 12th, 2014
Guardian: Environment Agency staff were withdrawn from a flood-hit area because of hostility from members of the public, it has emerged.
It is understood that staff were abused in the Wraysbury area of Berkshire, and have now been told to report any incidents to the agency.
Justin Bowden, national officer of the GMB union, said: "This report of hostility from the residents on the Thames is a direct result of the irresponsible attack by Eric Pickles [the communities secretary] and others on the EA. His...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on United Kingdom: Environment Agency staff not sent to flooded area after ‘abuse’ from residentsUnited Kingdom: Sir Ian Cheshire: London at risk of catastrophic flooding
Posted by Guardian: Jo Confino on February 12th, 2014
Guardian: The centre of London is at risk from catastrophic flooding that would make Hurricane Sandy's impact on New York pale in comparison, one of the UK's most senior businessmen has warned.
Sir Ian Cheshire, chief executive of multinational DIY company Kingfisher, which owns B&Q, has called for the creation of a national flood plan and said that responsibilities for water management are currently scattered among too many departments at national and local government level.
Cheshire, who led a government...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on United Kingdom: Sir Ian Cheshire: London at risk of catastrophic floodingNew York Sets Precedent With Nation’s First Microbead Ban Proposal
Posted by EcoWatch: Brandon Baker on February 12th, 2014
EcoWatch: New York`s attorney general this week proposed what could become the nation`s first-ever ban on microbeads--the small plastic particles found in beauty and cosmetic products.
Eric T. Schneiderman introduced the Microbead-Free Waters Act to prohibit the sale of items that contain microbeads in an attempt to prevent an emerging threat to the Great Lakes. According to Schneiderman, the plastic beads have been found in "alarmingly high levels" in New York`s portion of Lake Erie.
Companies add microbeads...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on New York Sets Precedent With Nation’s First Microbead Ban ProposalAs fresh storms lash coast, UK starts to count long-term cost
Posted by Guardian: Jamie Doward, Tracy McVeigh and Damian Carrington on February 8th, 2014
Guardian: Who would be a fisherman or a farmer? It was a question many would have been asking as Superstorm Saturday blew in, battering coasts and triggering tidal surges that will ensure parts of the country remain under water for weeks.
As the row over who was to blame for failing to tackle the consequences of the extreme weather intensified, concerns grew about the impact that the flooding will have on agriculture. Experts warned the government needed to fully understand that climate change poses a significant...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on As fresh storms lash coast, UK starts to count long-term costUK weather: heavy rainfall and severe gales means southern disruption continues
Posted by Blue and Green: Tom Revell on February 8th, 2014
Blue and Green: Forecasters have warned of the likelihood of further flooding in parts of the south-west, with severe gales and heavy rainfall set to cause further disruption.
The warnings come after prime minister David Cameron pledged to take all the necessary steps to help residents in the flood-stricken Somerset Levels. The situation in the region has become so severe that Royal Marines have been deployed to maintain overwhelmed flood defences, while many residents have been urged to leave their homes.
Cameron...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on UK weather: heavy rainfall and severe gales means southern disruption continues